UPDATE: Homes evacuated after bomb found in garden

BOMB disposal experts were called to a garden in Axminster after a World War Two bomb was found in a garden.

Six homes were evacuated just after 9am this morning after the discovery at the property on Alexandra Road.

Experts from the Royal Navy made the device safe.

The Southern Dive Unit from Plymouth Royal Naval base in Devonport, were called by police after a home owner discovered the air-dropped German bomb when gardening.

The explosive was largely inert and harmless because the detonator and fuse were missing.

However, a spokesman said: “The householder did the right thing by calling police because although this mostly harmless, if it was set fire to then the explosive remaining could have been dangerous and caused injury.

"We always urge the public who find suspicious items they suspect might be bombs or flares or other ordnance to call police and not to handle.’’

Today’s find was an incendiary dropped on buildings in large numbers by German warplanes designed to set fire to property, It weighs 1kg and measures about 12 inches by two inches. The bomb will be disposed of safely.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Initially a 200m cordon was set up around the garden in Alexandra Road but this was later reduced to 20m."